I've spoken in front of people for decades and I have no issues with doing it because when I bleed I bleed the blood of the movement, but what I'm writing about here is very difficult for me. My daughter tells me all the time that I do a horrible job of promoting the work that I do personally. She reminds me to tell people where I am and what I'm doing. I promise her that I will, but I still don't do it very well. She got on me last night for not taking every opportunity that I can to tell people about the book I just had released. I feel like I mention it too much, but I'm just not much of a self promoter. I see people get up and talk on and on about themselves and I've never felt comfortable doing that. Still, I have come to understand that if I want to do this work the way I envision, I need to maximize what I have at my disposal and that means becoming a much better self promoter. So bear with me here. It's not easy for me to do this.
It doesn't matter whether you are African (Black), European (White), Indigenous (Red/Brown), Arab, or Asian. It makes no difference if you are a woman, man, or whether you don't identify with either gender. In fact, you could be a one eyed blue alien from the 1000th galaxy, there's still a very simple way you can help. Make a commitment to support those of us who use what skills we have to put out art that projects a positive message. Specifically for this post, please buy my latest book The Courage Equation. No, of course you shouldn't buy it just because I wrote it. You should buy it because it does something most...no, pretty much no other fictional work does...It creatively tackles complex social issues in a profound way by feeding off the tension those issues create. For example, the women characters call out their male comrades on sexist behavior repeatedly and difficult issues like rape culture e.g. men grabbing women against their will and not accepting no as no are addressed. But, the book doesn't stop there. It portrays white people who live, work, and organize in a dominantly African environment (in Africa and the U.S.) while demonstrating for you how those people respect those environments and thrive within them working in concert with the African ways of life. That last thing of course is something that is practically non-existent in this real world. And, then there's Africa. Front and center. As a positive place to live, work, and organize. That's what makes the book so unique. The story does all of this in 542 pages for only $17.00! How? Why? Because my objective in writing it is to tell a different story. A positive story. An inspiring story. My focus wasn't on writing something that would be a bestseller. If that could happen, great, but if it does, it will only be on my own terms of integrity. Any of you writers/artists already know what I mean by that.
Actually, I'd be happy if the book just sells nicely because if it does that, I can depend upon a strong enough stream of income to help support the organizing work we are doing in the A-APRP. You need resources to provide resources in this capitalist society. The problem we have in doing this organizational work is African people are pretty much blocked from most meaningful resources in this society so I've been forced for decades to develop creative ways to generate resources and for the present time, my writing these books is a primary method. How else do you think I can throw a book release party at the end of February, invite hundreds of people, and feed everyone? How else do you think we fed over 100 people at the Fourth of the Lie event last year? How do we produce quality information and give it out for free? How do we show up pretty much whenever we are requested and do all the work we do without compensation? I work for a labor union so clearly you know I'm not financing this strictly from my day job. So, if you think our work, my work, is relevant and beneficial to this world we live in, then help us by buying this book. You won't regret it. I put the last five years of my life into this book. So buy it. READ it. And, write reviews about it so other people will buy it and read it. And tell your family and friends. You will not only be helping our work, but you will be helping create the type of political consciousness we are fighting for in the first place.
Buy my book and also buy and support other artists of color, women, etc., who are producing work that uplifts our societies. If you don't, and you are supposed to be progressive people, than no one else will and you will be stuck with filth which makes all of our work that much harder. If you don't buy positive music from positive music artists who are independent, but you buy commercial junk, then you don't have the right to complain about anything because you are the problem. I'm trying to prove that people want to read about battling white supremacy and patriarchy, but I can't prove that if you don't help me. I'm only saying all of this because I practice what I preach. The only commercial music I've purchased in about 10 years was D'Angelo's latest CD, but every African that approaches me, and even most of the young White artists, who can demonstrate to me they have a message, I always buy what they are producing. Hell, I buy every album the group "Anti-Flag" comes out with in spite of the fact I can't even bring myself to listen to their style of rock music (if that's what it is). You see, they supply their lyrics and once I saw their anti-capitalist, pro-people, pro-liberation lyrics, I committed to buy whatever they put out and I talk them up and encourage other people to do the same.
Let's build the consciousness we want. Come to my book release party advertised in the "coming events" tab on this website and find out more about our plans for this local community. For this global community. I want to shout out some people who continue to support our work. One comrade popularly known as "The Jester" in Portland and another one in Salem, Oregon. They put their money where their mouths are, every month, and we appreciate it. Many of you try and do the same, and we appreciate it. Now, I've got something to give back in this story and I'm hopeful you can help me put it on the lips of every person that I can. It's good for us. So, let's do it! Order online everywhere. Order from any bookstore. Ask your favorite bookstore to stock it! Help a brother help the world! For those who have already bought it, A HUGE THANK YOU! I can't appreciate you enough, but the party on the 27th is my sincere effort at it! And, I'd love to hear your feedback on the book!
It doesn't matter whether you are African (Black), European (White), Indigenous (Red/Brown), Arab, or Asian. It makes no difference if you are a woman, man, or whether you don't identify with either gender. In fact, you could be a one eyed blue alien from the 1000th galaxy, there's still a very simple way you can help. Make a commitment to support those of us who use what skills we have to put out art that projects a positive message. Specifically for this post, please buy my latest book The Courage Equation. No, of course you shouldn't buy it just because I wrote it. You should buy it because it does something most...no, pretty much no other fictional work does...It creatively tackles complex social issues in a profound way by feeding off the tension those issues create. For example, the women characters call out their male comrades on sexist behavior repeatedly and difficult issues like rape culture e.g. men grabbing women against their will and not accepting no as no are addressed. But, the book doesn't stop there. It portrays white people who live, work, and organize in a dominantly African environment (in Africa and the U.S.) while demonstrating for you how those people respect those environments and thrive within them working in concert with the African ways of life. That last thing of course is something that is practically non-existent in this real world. And, then there's Africa. Front and center. As a positive place to live, work, and organize. That's what makes the book so unique. The story does all of this in 542 pages for only $17.00! How? Why? Because my objective in writing it is to tell a different story. A positive story. An inspiring story. My focus wasn't on writing something that would be a bestseller. If that could happen, great, but if it does, it will only be on my own terms of integrity. Any of you writers/artists already know what I mean by that.
Actually, I'd be happy if the book just sells nicely because if it does that, I can depend upon a strong enough stream of income to help support the organizing work we are doing in the A-APRP. You need resources to provide resources in this capitalist society. The problem we have in doing this organizational work is African people are pretty much blocked from most meaningful resources in this society so I've been forced for decades to develop creative ways to generate resources and for the present time, my writing these books is a primary method. How else do you think I can throw a book release party at the end of February, invite hundreds of people, and feed everyone? How else do you think we fed over 100 people at the Fourth of the Lie event last year? How do we produce quality information and give it out for free? How do we show up pretty much whenever we are requested and do all the work we do without compensation? I work for a labor union so clearly you know I'm not financing this strictly from my day job. So, if you think our work, my work, is relevant and beneficial to this world we live in, then help us by buying this book. You won't regret it. I put the last five years of my life into this book. So buy it. READ it. And, write reviews about it so other people will buy it and read it. And tell your family and friends. You will not only be helping our work, but you will be helping create the type of political consciousness we are fighting for in the first place.
Buy my book and also buy and support other artists of color, women, etc., who are producing work that uplifts our societies. If you don't, and you are supposed to be progressive people, than no one else will and you will be stuck with filth which makes all of our work that much harder. If you don't buy positive music from positive music artists who are independent, but you buy commercial junk, then you don't have the right to complain about anything because you are the problem. I'm trying to prove that people want to read about battling white supremacy and patriarchy, but I can't prove that if you don't help me. I'm only saying all of this because I practice what I preach. The only commercial music I've purchased in about 10 years was D'Angelo's latest CD, but every African that approaches me, and even most of the young White artists, who can demonstrate to me they have a message, I always buy what they are producing. Hell, I buy every album the group "Anti-Flag" comes out with in spite of the fact I can't even bring myself to listen to their style of rock music (if that's what it is). You see, they supply their lyrics and once I saw their anti-capitalist, pro-people, pro-liberation lyrics, I committed to buy whatever they put out and I talk them up and encourage other people to do the same.
Let's build the consciousness we want. Come to my book release party advertised in the "coming events" tab on this website and find out more about our plans for this local community. For this global community. I want to shout out some people who continue to support our work. One comrade popularly known as "The Jester" in Portland and another one in Salem, Oregon. They put their money where their mouths are, every month, and we appreciate it. Many of you try and do the same, and we appreciate it. Now, I've got something to give back in this story and I'm hopeful you can help me put it on the lips of every person that I can. It's good for us. So, let's do it! Order online everywhere. Order from any bookstore. Ask your favorite bookstore to stock it! Help a brother help the world! For those who have already bought it, A HUGE THANK YOU! I can't appreciate you enough, but the party on the 27th is my sincere effort at it! And, I'd love to hear your feedback on the book!
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